Bachelor Degree in
Environmental & Resource Economics

The Environmental & Resource Economics degree program in the Resource Economics Department is about how we balance social and economic goals with environmental quality and sustainability goals. It prepares you for a career as an environmental or resource economist in industry, government, or non-governmental non-profit organizations; domestically and internationally. It is also excellent preparation for law school or doctoral degree programs.

• protecting natural resources, or
• quantifying hard-to-measure values, or
• figuring out why people make the choices they do, or
• making a difference on local and global environmental issues, and
• working outdoors & indoors, with people & with computers, in Nevada & around the world, all in the same job,

…then Environmental & Resource Economics (ERE) may be the right major for you!
  

• The Resource Economics faculty is world class and has an active grant driven research agenda that supports undergraduate student involvement.
    
• Outstanding research programs that value environmental services and the impact of the environment and agriculture on communities’ economic health.
    
• We offer opportunities to study abroad in tailored, subject-specific exchange programs between our department and some of the best universities in Europe.
    
• It’s one of the most flexible bachelor’s degree programs on campus, with only 43 required major credits. A minor in a field of your choice (18-21 credits) is also required, which makes BS-ERE graduates very attractive to employers.

• Environmental consulting
• Environmental and natural resource management
• Environmental advocacy groups
• Industry advocacy groups
• Policy analysis for government
• Economic or statistical analysis

This minor program is designed for students who are interested in supplementing their major field with a background in agribusiness.

This minor is designed for students who are interested in supplementing their major field with a background in the economics of natural resource and environmental issues. The minor offers a program of study that includes a variety of topics such as cost benefit analysis, exhaustible and renewable resources, environmental externalities, property rights, and economic policy.

This minor provides a foundation for the use of statistical methods as a scientific tool for estimation and hypothesis testing. By emphasizing applications in the physical, life, and behavioral sciences, this minor should complement degree programs in most disciplines.

What’s the difference between CABNR Resource Economics and business school Economics?
      Mainly, we study actual natural resource, local, and global environmental issues, not just abstract ‘supply and demand.” Our faculty is world-class and nationally-ranked. Our student:faculty ratio is 3:1; compared to 34:1 in the College of Business. We excel at the collection and analysis of quantitative information (applied math and statistics) which makes EPA graduates very successful candidates for careers and graduate schools.

What kind of salary do ERE grads earn?
In 2005, the median annual income nationwide for environmental analysts was $60,000. (acinet.org).

Are there any student clubs for ERE majors?
      Yes! The Sierra Nevada Resource Economics Organization (SNREO) is a chapter club of the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA). Each year the student team participates in the AAEA student Quiz Bowl. The SNREO club takes field trips, and club members conduct research projects, such as a survey to measure the value of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, for example.

Will I get to know my professors?
      You sure can. The average ERE major class size is about 20 students. All major courses are taught by faculty. The student:faculty ratio 3:1. You can participate on research with faculty, who employ undergraduates as research assistants. Surveys of our department’s graduates show that about 95% rate the student-faculty interaction in our department good to excellent.

What do Environmental & Resource Economics do?
      About three-quarters of our graduates go into careers directly related to the degree, working with land, water, forestry, fishery, wildlife, mining, or recreation industries as environmental/resource economists; analyzing policy, applying environmental law, or promoting regional and community development. Another quarter go to graduate school to become professors, or to law school.

How do I prepare?
      High school students interested in environmental and resource economics should take a regular college prep curriculum, with four years of math including algebra, geometry, and calculus. And, AP in calculus can save you up to three university courses. High school coursework in a foreign language (French or Spanish) is also very useful for study abroad.

What courses will I take at the university?
      For the ERE major, you will study resource, environmental, and behavioral economics. You will also study statistics, learn to prepare economic impact statements, and to conduct policy analyses. You also minor in another field such as political science, environmental engineering, wildlife ecology, or even a foreign language (it’s your choice!). Like all university students you complete the core English, humanities, science, and math requirements. And there is plenty of time for other electives of your choice (music, journalism, anthropology,…)
  

Dr. Tigran Melkonyan, Associate Professor, Undergraduate Program Coordinator and Faculty Advisor
Phone: (775) 784-6434
e-mail: tmelkonyan@cabnr.unr.edu
Office: 220f Fleischmann Ag Bldg, UNR Campus

 

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